|
Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.
 January 2024
The new Minnesota state legislative session begins on Monday, February 12, 2024.
Every legislative session there are bills under discussion that impact emerging farmers and 2024 is a year focused on policy (rather than budget, which was last session’s focus). We encourage you to follow and engage with proposed policies at the state capitol this year! Two resources to help you track activities during the 2024 legislative session are: the Minnesota State Legislature's combined calendar and the MyBills feature, which enables tracking specific pieces of proposed legislation.
February 13, 2024 is the date set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) for releasing the 2022 Census of Agriculture data. We are eagerly awaiting release of this new Ag Census data to review how emerging farmers are represented in Minnesota’s farmer demographics.
Check this NASS webpage for updates.
|
 The Emerging Farmers Office (EFO) team is growing!
In January, Emily Toner joined our team as Grants Specialist Senior. She will be overseeing several new grant programs administered by EFO, read below in the resources section to learn more.
A little about Emily:
She received her B.S. in Agronomy and Environmental Studies from Iowa State University and then attended graduate school at University of Wisconsin – Madison where she earned an M.A. in journalism and an M.S. in Geography, with a thesis focused on Japanese American internment camp gardens during WWII.
Emily worked for Purdue University Extension in Indianapolis for five years as urban agriculture educator and supported diverse, small-scale farmers with grant-funded programs. Most recently, Emily lived in The Netherlands and worked for an international soil information center which produces global soil maps and datasets.
|
 The 2024 Good Acre Local Emergency Assistance Farmer Fund (LEAFF) application is open now until February 19, 2024. LEAFF is a state-funded program to compensate emerging farmers for crops donated to hunger relief organizations in Minnesota. The Good Acre food hub recommends applying for this program if you are a farmer interested in building a foundation that will support your farm business in selling your produce into wholesale markets. Access the 2024 application here.
Grants
Emerging Farmer Office: With the onboarding of our new grant specialist, MDA’s Emerging Farmers Office is beginning work on new grant programs. Stay tuned on these upcoming grants, and please reach out to Emily Toner (emily.toner@state.mn.us) if you would like to learn more:
- Technical assistance grants to certified community development financial institutions (CDFIs) that participate in United States Department of Agriculture loan or grant programs for small or emerging farmers.
- Urban agriculture conservation mini grants, funded through the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
- Beginning farmer equipment and infrastructure grant.
AGRI Urban Agriculture Grant: Next round opens February 2024, The AGRI Urban Agriculture Grant Program encourages urban youth agricultural education and urban agriculture community development within the city limits of urban or peri-urban areas. Learn more
Protecting Livestock (Protect) Grant: The Protecting Livestock Grant Program, also referred to as the Protect Grant, is open now and helps Minnesota farmers and ranchers buy and install supplies or equipment that will: 1) Prevent livestock disease outbreaks; 2) Protect animals not currently covered by existing depredation programs (e.g., protect honeybee colonies from bears). Learn more
Beginning Farmer Tax Credit: The Minnesota Beginning Farmer Tax Credit provides annual state tax credits to landlords and sellers (asset owners) who rent or sell farmland, equipment, livestock, and other agricultural assets to beginning farmers. Applications now open, funding is given on a first-come, first-served basis. Learn more
Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Grant: For businesses and organizations operating in the middle of the food supply chain in Minnesota. The purpose of the funding is to invest in infrastructure for aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of locally and regionally produced food intended for human consumption, including specialty crops, dairy, grains, aquaculture, and other food products (except meat and poultry, which are funded through other programs). Learn more
Specialty Crop Block Grant, Grants fund projects that will increase the competitiveness of Minnesota grown specialty crops in domestic and foreign markets. The USDA defines specialty crops as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops, floriculture, and processed products that have 50% or more specialty crop content by weight. Learn more
Produce Safety Mini Grant: This grant reimburses Minnesota produce farmers for expenses that improve on-farm food safety systems including water testing for generic E. coli and/or other on-farm food safety improvements. Information about the next cycle of the Produce Safety Mini-Grant will be released later this winter. Learn more
Learn more about MDA grant and loan opportunities and sign up to receive notifications about MDA grant opportunities via email (After entering your email, check the box for notifications related to “Grants and Loans”).
Trainings
Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Half-Day Training Course: Online, Feb. 6, Feb. 28, and March 13. A "one stop shop" to learn about food safety best practices in the production, washing, packing, storage, and transport of fresh produce taught by UMN Extension and experienced farmer trainers. $15 per farm, includes certificate of attendance for all participants. Scholarships are available, please email jenri001@umn.edu. Learn more
Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule Training: Feb 27 in St. Paul and March 7 online. This course meets the training requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule for farms fully covered by the Produce Safety Rule. This regulatory training is led by UMN Extension, MDA staff and experienced farmer trainers. $25, includes training materials and certificate of completion. Learn more
  The University of Minnesota wants to hear about the pollinators who help boost your crop yields! As part of a new project, Advancing Adoption of Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management in the Midwest, UMN staff will host a series of focus groups this winter to discuss pollinator benefits and grower resources needed to support the more than 500 wild pollinators documented in Minnesota. Information gathered during the focus groups will be used to produce a technical guide about pollinator best practices for Midwest specialty crop farms as well as a UMN Extension website and programming committed to providing growers with access to the latest pollinator resources.
Please consider joining a one-hour focus group either in person or by zoom. No pollinator management experience required! Growers who are selected for the focus group will receive a $25 VISA gift card and the opportunity to discuss pollinator management with other growers. Take the survey and sign up for a focus group. Can't attend a focus group? We'd still like to hear from you. Please complete the 2024 pollinator survey.
For more information about the pollinator project, focus groups and/or the survey, contact Emerging Farmer Working Group member Gigi DiGiacomo, Dept. of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, gigid@umn.edu or 612-710-1188.
 Emerging Farmers Technical Assistance: Awardees of this grant provide services to emerging farmers. Learn about who received this grant in 2023 and what services they offer.
Urban Farmers Input Requested
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the Metropolitan Council are working together to learn more about the needs of farmers in the seven-county metro region. This includes Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey, Washington, Dakota, Scott, and Carver counties. If you work on a farm that you would consider a “small farm” or “urban farm” in the 7-county Twin Cities metropolitan region, you’re invited to a listening session on March 7th from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM at the Minnesota Farmers Union. Please RSVP to mackenzie.young-walters@metc.state.mn.us.
The information gathered will be used to inform: 1) the Metropolitan Council’s agricultural and land use policies in its upcoming Regional Development Guide, and 2) farmland preservation work at the MDA. There is also a survey currently open to give input on these topics, take the six-question survey.
|
